Hela to benefit from tourism

I REFER to the EMTV news broadcast last Thursday (Aug 4) that announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Hela Provincial Government and the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) which agreed to work together to safeguard  and protect the culture and traditions of the Hela people.
Hela provincial dministrator William Bando and Tourism Minister Tobias Kulang signed the MOU that was broadcasted on EMTV news as well local media for public consumption.
It is indeed a good initiative to ensure the prestigious Hela culture is preserved and well looked after and this MOU should be the living instrument to guide the relationships.
In other words, the Hela provincial government will use the MOU as basis to allocate funding throughout its annual budget process to ensure its programmes are fully funded and operational.
Hela is home to the world famous Huli wigman, which is a world-class tourism commodity in a global community that is getting smaller and smaller with the advent the modern telecommunications and technology. There are many other tourism products within the Hela cultural fold such as the famous Huli ditch, legends, dressing, genealogical footprints, land tenure systems, barter systems and everyday social behaviour and norms and social life.
Bando, as a former senior TPA officer has full knowledge of the benefits entailed in the Hela culture and it is befitting and timely for such a MOU to be signed.
The MOU will also respect and honor the late Governor Anderson Agiru who was a real Hela man and who worked hard for his beloved people.
I commend the Hela Provincial Administration and the Tourism Promotion Authority for signing the MOU.
The challenge now is to make it work.

Yapi Akore
Kagua-Erave, SHP